Friday, December 31, 2010

New Years Eve is here and I am in no way ready for a new year... it just seems that I got used to writing 2010 and settled into the year and now its over - someone asked me what my resolutions were for the coming year and for my life of me I could not come up with something grand.

I tried to say I'd buy no more junk, but we all know that's not true, I just can't pass up a good bargain and love making something old new again.

While at Disney I took a few good photos of birds I'd never captured so I guess I have NEW photos; I tried out a NEW mix from Williams & Sonoma and we bought a couple of NEW movies.

I am looking for a NEW paint color for the outside of the house and I am at a loss right this minute. I did find a color I liked but it is too pink.

I hope all of you have a wonderful NEW year and try out NEW things and meet NEW friends.

Sunday, December 26, 2010

We celebrated Christmas three times this year... first with a family trip (3 generations) to Walt Disney World in Florida (along with my childhood best friend and her husband), then with a Christmas Eve Open House and finally with a family breakfast Christmas morning.

Althea, Pluto and Dorie

The Candlelight Concert at Epcot

Christmas Tree at Animal Kingdom

Christmas Tree at Polynesian Resort

I got back in the swing of things this year and baked hundreds of cookies with the help of daughter Becki, niece Emily and great nephew and nieces Mason, Trinity and Kirsten. We burnt up my mixer and I had to make cheese balls by hand but we had a great time.

Mason and his cousins Trinity and Kirsten

I tried a new punch out on family and friends and it was a great hit...

We included some long held family traditions this year such as the men cooking Christmas Breakfast
( I cheated and baked a Dutch Baby Pancake) and waiting to open stockings until Beth, Junior and Dorie came by and we included some new ones as well...
the Dutch Baby (it was wonderful - a mix from Williams Sonoma) and
"Crackers" which we all loved and decided we'll do every year.

Thursday, December 2, 2010

I missed a week of My Town so I am doing two at once. It wasn't hard to combine two weeks as not only is Evelyn's my favorite shop in town, I am thankful for it being here and for the wonderful family that owns and operates it and for the friendship they have given us through the years.

Bereley Linder, who owns Evelyn's is one of the nicest people I have ever met and his outgoing personality has made a huge impact on my granddaughter Dorie who loves to visit the store and talk with Mr. Bereley.

Of course one of my favorite times to visit the shop is during a holiday and Christmas is wonderful there. You can always count on some type of homemade goodies and a wonderful beverage to go with it. This Christmas open house we snacked on Peach Pepper Jam over Cream Cheese with crackers and Cranberry White Chocolate Magic Bars while sipping Mulled Cider.

But my all time favorite recipe that has been served at Evelyn's has to be the Pickled Shrimp. I asked for and received the recipe from Bereley and have prepared it for a small gathering to a wedding reception for 100. It is a wonderfully simple dish and one I will gladly share.

Followers

Grilled Grandma's

Granddaughters

Who would have ever thought that the sight of big blue eyes or the gentle touch of a tiny finger could bring new depth to every thing you do, see, touch, experince?

My granddaughters have done this and more... they are like 2 twinkling stars in a black night, forever guiding us, leading us to new things... I wake up each day looking forward to the next adventure.

Whether it is tracking tigers and lions with Dorie at the local plant nursery (the shade plant area makes a nice jungle) to leaping over giant snakes (you guessed it.... water hoses) or watching Althea grab an old purse of mine and sling it over her arm like an old lady... they bring such joy to our lives.